Prayer For The Chinn Family

If someone were to come and ask you, “WHAT IS PEACE”, how would you answer them?  Peace is one of those things that everyone wants, but no one has a real clear answer of what it is or how you can get it and keep it.  I like to look in the dictionary whenever I have a word that I need a clear understanding of.  So, the Webster’s dictionary has this to say about peace: it is the “freedom from or stopping of war; freedom from public disturbance or disorder; freedom from disagreement or quarrels, harmony, concord; an undisturbed state of mind, absence of mental conflict; calm, quiet, tranquility.”

Someone once said that, “Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading.”  We are not use to having peace, and the short time that it takes to reload, many may look at as peace.  We look at peace as something that happens when conflict and problems are not present.  We have to get rid of all those things that create anxiety in our life in order for us to have peace.  I want us to see today that peace comes not by getting rid of our problems but by focussing our thoughts on what God wants us to think about. 

For instance, many of you may be struggling with the loss of Virgil, but peace comes from God when we focus not on his death, but rather we look at the peace that he now has in being with God.

Someone else said, “Peace is that calm of mind that is not ruffled by adversity, overclouded by a remorseful conscience, or disturbed by fear.”  Peace doesn’t come with the absence of the storm; it comes in the presence of the storm because Jesus is walking there beside us, and we’ve got our eyes on Him.

Well, let’s go ahead and read our text for today.  It is going to be Philippians 4:1-9.  Here in Philippians 4:1-9 it says, “1”

Too many Christians are failing to stand their ground on the spiritual battlefield of life.  We want our Christianity to be soft and easy.  We want our spiritual development to be quick and painless.  Paul addresses this very issue with the Philippians in verse 1 which forms a bridge between his discussion in chapter 3 and his exhortations in chapter 4.  Here again, Paul writes: “that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!”  The Greek word for “stand firm” is a military term referring to a soldier standing his ground in battle.  The Philippian church is in a spiritual battle not only for their souls, but also for the souls of mankind.  And so when they face opposition they dare not back down, but must stand their ground.

Standing firm and swimming against the current is no easy task, but overcoming difficult obstacles can only make us better and stronger.  William M. Batten said: “When I hear my friends say they hope their children don’t have to experience the hardships they went through -- I don’t agree.  Those hardships made us what we are.  You can be disadvantaged in many ways, and one way may be not having had to struggle.” 

I believe that our Heavenly Father would agree with Mr. Batten.  God does not allow trials to come our way because He likes to watch us suffer or struggle, but because He knows it is the only way to grow us into strong, productive Christians.

Philippians 4:5 reminds us that, “the Lord is near,” and the rest of the chapter is wrapped around that thought.  Knowing that He is near brings peace when we are anxious.  It gives us joy in all circumstances.  The key to this final chapter can be summed up with those 4 little words, “the Lord is near.”  There are 2 possible meanings to this phrase.  One is that God is everywhere and that He is with each one of us all the time.  It could also mean that our Lord’s return is very near.  Scholars disagree as to whether original Greek text gives us a clear definition.  However, either way the result is the same.  Because the Lord is near, it ought to greatly impact every area of our life.

What would our life be like if we walked in the nearness of the Lord?  He walks next to us, He accompanies us wherever we go, He watches us, His return is soon.  It should change the way that we live our life.

In the study of chapter 4 there are 9 practical ways His nearness ought to challenge and change us.  As we look at verses 1-9 today, we will be looking at 6 of these areas, and next week we will cover the others.  The first point comes in verse 1.  Because the Lord is near, we can STAND FIRM.  Paul begins this chapter with encouragement to “stand firm.”  In chapter 3:20-21 we found that our citizenship was in Heaven and that God transforms us to be like Him. 

Because we have the hope of citizenship in Heaven we can stand firm.  Scripture assures us that in His presence we will never be alone.  Because the Lord is with us we can stand firm in the face of temptation, opposition, tragedy, doubt, fear, abandonment, and a whole lot more.  Do you get the picture?  With God, we can face anything! 

We’ve got someone on our side comforting us when we are down, accompanying us when we are lonely, fighting with us when we face evil and encouraging us when we face opposition.  So, because the Lord is near, we can stand firm.

The second point we can find in verses 2-3 where it says, “1”

Because the Lord is near, we can OVERCOME DISAGREEMENTS.  If you notice, Paul has 2 pleas here.  First, to those who are in disagreement, he says STOP ARGUING.  Second, to those who are around those who are arguing, he says, HELP THEM.

Have you ever had an argument with someone, and after you calmed down, you realized how stupid that fight was?  Have you ever argued for so long and so hard that after a while you forget why you started arguing in the first place?  Recognizing the nearness of God puts things in perspective.  We’ve got something better to do.  Because the Lord is near, we can overcome disagreements.  When we walk in the presence of God, our character will grow in areas of patience, love, maturity, and so on.  And then we will be able to clearly see these areas of disagreement in the eyes God would see them.

Remember that in Philippians 2:14-15 it says, “2”

So, are there disagreements you’re currently experiencing in your life right now?  Who with?  What about?  What can you do right now to settle them?  In verse 3 Paul uses interesting terminology in reference to the Christians at Philippi.  He calls them “loyal yokefellow.”

The idea of the yoke was 2 fold.  First, it served to keep the more aggressive oxen in check.  They couldn’t just take off and leave their partner behind.  Secondly, the strength of the more aggressive oxen when combined with the yoke helped to pull the weaker oxen along, until the animal learned to keep the same pace.  When both of the oxen pulled with equal strength, the field was plowed with ease and the row was straight.  More could be accomplished.  It is sort of like a three legged race.  Those who are most in sync with each other will win the race.  If we are going to accomplish something for the kingdom of God, we need to work together as well.  So, because the Lord is near, we can overcome disagreements.

The next point comes to us in verse 4 when Paul writes, “1”

Because the Lord is near, we can REJOICE.  Generally speaking, do you think that Christians are joyful people?  We need to understand that we have permission to be joyful in life…God’s presence gives us reason for this.  Rejoicing is so important, notice that Paul repeats it twice.  In fact, Philippians is often described as the New Testament letter of Joy.  The word “Joy” occurs in its various forms 16 times in these 4 chapters.

Our Savior is near.  While every other religion serves a leader who is dead and gone, we have a leader who is alive and well.  While every other religion offers rules, rituals, and regulations to try to find God, being a Christian is all about a direct relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  Sadly, too many of us walk around like we follow a Savior who is dead and gone.  Where is our Joy?  He is risen!  Because of this we have every reason to rejoice. 

There are many other reasons that we have to rejoice that we may never even think of.  Things such as: our families, our careers, our church, and the list goes on.  Because God is near, we can rejoice.

Our fourth point comes in verse 5 when it says, “1”

Because the Lord is near, we are to EXHIBIT GENTLENESS.  Gentleness is not something that scores big on the popularity chart, nor will it be highlighted on ESPN.  However, gentleness is used to describe people who are near to God in Galatians 5:22-23 and it was certainly one of the characteristics of Jesus.  Gentleness commands respect.  Remember, when you are abrasive, you are seldom persuasive.  The practice of being a gentleperson is an endangered animal today.  However, it ought to be a way of life for every Christian.  Remember in Philippians 2:3 when it says, “In humility, consider others better than yourselves.”  Gentleness is an interesting term.  Historically this term is used by Hellenistic writer, and could refer to God or to the noble.  That is most likely the sense here as well.  Only now as the disposition of all God’s people.  Gentleness is not really a fair translation of the nature of this word. 

The idea of this word is that this characteristic is extra ordinary.  This is not something that you find in the average man.  However, because we are part of God’s kingdom, we should have that characteristic inside of us.  So, because the Lord is near, we are to be gentlemen and gentlewomen.

In verses 6-7 Paul writes, “1”

Because the Lord is near, we can HAVE PEACE IN TIMES OF PRESSURE.  We are bombarded with product ads that promise to do amazing things for us.  Wear this, drink this, take this, have this, buy this, watch this.  The list goes on.  The rewards are supposed to be huge, you will get this, you will lose this, look like this, or feel like this.  Unfortunately the product rarely lives up to the hype.  Verse 7 says, “the peace of God WILL guard your hearts and minds…”  This is a promise to us.  Later in verse 9 it says, “and the peace of God will be with you.”  It’s time to let God’s peace take over in our lives. 

Right now, Virgil is at peace with God.  All of his worries, all of his pains, and all of his struggles are gone.  So, I think that Virgil along with Paul would tell us to dump our worries and to pray!  Lean on God in times of need.  Seek His wisdom when worries come your way.  When you are able to leave it to God, you will receive His peace.  The Bible is filled with people facing incredible odds, making life or death decisions for them.  in short its filled with stories of those going through unimaginable stress.  But in each case, God’s presence made all of the difference.  Paul himself is a great example of this.  He faced worry, fear, and opposition almost everyday of his ministry. 

In fact Paul wrote many letters to others while he was in prison himself.  Aesop once said, “a crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety.”  That is real true.  Anything done in peace is always better.

The neatest thing about peace is that it is already there for us.  Dwight L. Moody said, “A great many people are trying to make peace, but that has already been done.  God has not left it for us to do, all we have to do is to enter into it.”  God does not make us develop peace, He has it already for us to except and live with. 

Notice there in these verses that it said in everything to present your requests to God in prayer.  Here I feel that Paul is just giving them some of the best advice possible.  You should always be in contact with God, and when you take things to Him in prayer, He can provide you with the peace that you need.  In fact there was a study done once that proved that those who went to God in prayer, had greater success in illnesses and many other areas of life.  Including the level of joy and the level of peace that they experienced in their life.  But notice there in that verse, Paul says, “and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart.”  Now the word that I want to focus on today is that word transcends. Now the word transcends means above, or greater than.  So God’s understanding is better than ours.  We prayed that Virgil would be healed and be back with us, but he wasn’t.  You see, God knows what is best and we know that all things work together for the glory of God.  When we pray, God will answer us in 3 ways.  He will say yes, He will say no, and He will say wait. 

You see, we prayed that God would take away Virgil’s pain, and He did, in His own way.  We prayed that Virgil would be healed and that we would see him again.  For this God said wait until Heaven.  That is the peace that He gives us in this case.  So, because the Lord is near, we can have peace in times of pressure.

Wrapping things up for this morning, the last point comes to us in verse 8 when Paul says, “1”

Because the Lord is near, we should TRANSFORM OUR THINKING.  What where you thinking?  Have you ever heard that phrase?  It usually follows a time when we’ve blown it.  A thousand scenes could apply: you ran the wrong way, you were late for work, failed a test, forgot you bills, said the wrong thing, and the list could go on. 

All of us are absent minded from time to time.  Whether by intent or not, we’ve all been in a situation where we look back and wonder, “What was I thinking?”  Usually, our absent mindedness comes when we stray from what is right, what is good, or what we should have done. 

Now the style of writing that Paul uses in verses 8-9 was called asyndeton in Paul’s day.  It’s a style of writing that doesn’t use connecting words in order to be pointed, to make an emphasis.  It’s similar to a marriage ceremony where you say that you will love her for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, till death due us part. 

It would be better grammar to say, “I will love you for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, both in sickness and in health, both in good times and in bad times, until death does us part.”  But instead this style is used to make an emphasis.  Paul is doing the same thing in verses 8-9: whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable…

Yes let’s think about such things.  We are to transform out thinking.  It sounds like Paul is making a list of the qualities of God.  Notice Paul’s checklist, whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, praiseworthy… These are all qualities of God.  It is kind of like Paul is saying, “think about WHO God is.”

Now think about you thought life.  Do they measure up?  With one of them, two of them, all of them, none of them?  So, because the Lord is near, we should transform our thinking.

Finally, in verse 9 Paul says, “1”

Paul says to follow these examples.  If we do that, God, the God of Peace will give us the peace we need.  We, as a church, must stand our ground on the spiritual battlefield of this life.  We cannot afford to allow ourselves to become apathetic bystanders. 

When Rosina Hernandez was in college, she once attended a rock concert at which one young man was brutally beaten by another.  No one made an attempt to stop the beating.  The next day she was struck dumb to learn that the youth had died as a result of the pounding.  Yet neither she nor anyone else had raised a hand to help him.  She could never forget the incident or her responsibility as an inactive bystander.

Some years later, Rosina saw another catastrophe.  A car driving in the rain ahead of her suddenly skidded and plunged into Biscayne Bay.  The car landed head down in the water with only the tail end showing.  In a moment a woman appeared on the surface, shouting for help and saying her husband was stuck inside.  This time Rosina waited for no one.  She plunged into the water, tried unsuccessfully to open the car door, then pounded on the back window as other bystanders stood on the causeway and watched.  First she screamed at them, begging for help, then cursed them, telling them there was a man dying in the car.  First one man, then another, finally came to help.  Together they broke the safety glass and dragged the man out.  They were just in time -- a few minutes later it would have been all over.

The woman thanked Rosina for saving her husband, and Rosina was elated, riding an emotional high that lasted for weeks.  She had promised herself that she would never again fail to do anything she could to save a human life.  She had made good on her promise.

How long will we continue in our apathy?  How long will we remain on the sidelines while the battle rages?  How long will we stand by and watch as the people of our community are swept away by the current into hell?  How long? 

It is time for us to end our apathy.  It is time for us to get involved.  It is time for us as individuals and as a church to take a stand for Jesus.  It is time we...

Stand firm, Overcome disagreements, Rejoice, Exhibit gentleness, Have peace in times of pressure, And transform our thinking

And next week we will look at a few more things that we can learn about the Lord being near.

In conclusion, In 1871, a great fire struck the city of Chicago, and the real estate holdings of a young man by the name of Horatio Spafford were all but destroyed.  Mr. Spafford was a Christian lawyer in that city, and though much of what he owned was gone, he still maintained his faith in God.  He knew that God was in control, and He knew that God still loved him.  Two years later, Mr. Spafford and his wife decided to take their four young daughters to England for schooling since most of the schools in Chicago had not yet been rebuilt and were not of the quality of the schools overseas.  Just before the boat was to leave, Mr. Spafford got called away on business, so he sent his wife and daughters ahead intending to join them on the next boat.

In the middle of the ocean, the ship that Mr. Spafford’s family was on collided with another ship.  The ship sank to the bottom taking most of its passengers to their death.  The death toll included the his 4 daughters.  His wife was rescued from the seas.  On the rescue boat, she sent a telegram to her husband.  The telegram said, “Saved, alone.”

When Mr. Spafford received this message, the tragedy of the fire seemed nothing in comparison to what the telegram implied.  Money and burned buildings could be replaced but his children were gone!  It was through these clouds of darkness and despair that there shone, into the heart of H. G. Spafford, the bright light of God’s promise from Joshua 1:5.  God would not leave or forsake him in the trying hour no matter what the circumstances.  Peace like a river or sorrows like sea billows – with God all is well!  And with that thought on his mind, H. G. Spafford wrote the words to the song “It is Well.”

Do you have peace this morning?  Do you have peace between you and other persons in this church?  Do you have peace in your relationship with the Lord?  It is only as you give Him complete control of every area of your life that you will have peace.  What thoughts are ruling your mind this morning?  Are they thoughts that promote peace between you and other people and between you and God?  Or are they thoughts that create conflict because they are not based on the truth?  If you need peace, the Prince of Peace is waiting here to greet you if you will come.

Well today, after a loss of a brother in Christ we are all searching for the peace as well.  In II Thessalonians 3:16 it says, “3”

God promises to give us that peace which we desire.  And like Spafford, we should realize that it is all well with our souls this morning as well.

Let’s pray